The Oatmeal Project: 28 Days of Oatmeal for National Heart Health Month

[The Oatmeal Project, Day 1: Plain Oatmeal]

We’ve never been regular oatmeal eaters.

Well, there was that one period of time back when we worked in a corporate cubicle farm when we were pulling consecutive all-nighters. A pack of instant oatmeal, rehydrated with the hot side of a Sparkletts water cooler and eaten with a pair of disposable chopsticks from some company-catered lunch three years before, was our dinner every night. And sadly, breakfast the next morning. And lunch, too.

At least the oatmeal packs were different flavors! *sigh*

Anyway.

So except for that one six-week stint, we haven’t really “done” oatmeal. In fact, it was probably that instant oatmeal series that slammed the door shut to oatmeal in our current life. Runny. But congealed. Plastic-y. And at the same time, cardboard dust. You know what we mean.

A Grain-y Lightbulb

In the last few weeks though, we’ve become utterly fascinated by oats. Sure, we’ve been hearing, seeing and reading about oats’ health benefits for years, but sometimes, like so many things, the message doesn’t sink in until, well, it just sinks in.

This just (sinks) in! Oats are really good for our health!

We should eat oats!

So we’re going to (try to) eat oatmeal every day for the 28 days of February.

Heart to Heart

We know there’s no such thing as “making up for lost (health) time,” by cramming an entire lifetime’s worth of oatmeal into a single month, but there is such a thing as “better late than never.” Of course, there’s also “never look a gift horse in the mouth,” but that has nothing to do with anything.

Besides, we’re food bloggers and this is the kind of foodobsessive stuff we do.

Coincidentally, February is the perfect month for this little Oatmeal Project of ours. We’d like to ignore Valentine’s Day completely, but obviously, we can’t. But instead of focusing on the love-y romance aspects of Valentine’s Day, we’re focusing on the heart. And fiber. (You’ll see.)

February is National Heart Health Month and National Fiber Focus Month, both of which coincide with oats’ strongest health claim. Oats contain fiber, and more specifically, a type of fiber called beta-glucan, which has been shown to lower total cholesterol for heart health.

February is also the shortest month of the year, so just in case we end up hating this “Every Day for a Month” project before we finish, at least it’ll be over sooner.

To Top it All Off

We don’t expect that we’ll find ourselves dreading that bowl of oatmeal each day, though. So many of you have already been eating oatmeal almost daily for your entire solid foods life, so it can’t be all that bad. And, what will make it exciting for us will actually be trying to top our oatmeal with something different (and healthy) every day. Sure, there will be the standards like apple + cinnamon, maple + brown sugar and banana + walnut, but we’re looking forward to those days about halfway though when we’ve exhausted every fresh fruit and have to go savory. Tuna salad oatmeal, anyone?

We’re starting the project today with a plain bowl of steel cut oats. No sugar, no honey, nothing. We want to start simply and build. We have a short list of toppings for the next few days, but would love your ideas.

I’ve never been a huge oatmeal fan either, since a childhood experience. So usually, I don’t eat it hot style, but I might have it as a shake or smoothie. Or, the base for chocolate cookies (instead of flour). That’s about it though for me. Some of the members in my family could live on it, I’m not quite at that level myself, but it is really good to get your day going. Good luck! Maybe next year you should do popcorn (for fiber focus…?)!

I live for my morning oatmeal, particularly during the winter after my morning run! What a wonderful thing to look forward to on the trail to come home to a nice warm bowl topped with dried apples, some raisins, sliced almonds, flax seed, and cinnamon. Sometimes, I add some soy protein powder too for little extra kick after the hard workouts. Nothing very earth shattering here, but I love it all the same.

My almost daily winter bowl of stovetop oatmeal is made even tastier by cooking it with creamy unsweetened vanilla almond milk, banana slices, and cinnamon, & topped with a spoonful of peanut (or almond) butter.

During the warmer months, I stick with overnight oats: equal amounts of rolled oats, milk (dairy or almond/soy milk), Greek yogurt, and water are mixed together and refrigerated overnight – then topped with fruit and nuts in the morning. Yum!

My current favourite bowl is made by soaking the oats with a tablespoon of linseeds in soya milk overnight. The linseeds are great for your health but I think they add to the texture too. Heated in the morning, add fresh berries, chopped dates, cinnamon and some maple syrup. REALLY good.

With the banana porridge though, I prefer chopping the banana in before I cook the porridge – it acts much more as a natural sweetener that way and is all soft and gooey!

my favorite savory way is with a sunny side egg on top and a bit of soy sauce. i also love make it with soy or regular milk, walnuts or almonds, and blueberries. it turns slightly blue! we used to always eat it with a slightly beaten egg added at the end, dried pork sung on top (get it at asian super markets), and chinese pickles or chilis added cold to the hot mixture. finally, lauren’s idea of peanut or almond butter has always been one of my favorite ways of eating oatmeal. yum! i love oatmeal!

beth, we’re definitely going to do a version with soy sauce in there somewhere… we’re used to rice porridges eaten that way… and we’re thinking eggs now too! we though poached, but sunny side up sounds so much… brighter in the morning :)

As a kid I didn’t even know what oatmeal was. I discovered this kind of breakfast when I was 16 and started eating it regularly (or maybe obsessively) at the age of 22. Since then I’ve probably tried every possible combination, sweet and savory. These are my two most favorite combinations:
*stovetop oats topped with a mix of peach, pluot and grapes sauteed in milk with some brown sugar and cinnamon (plus some roasted peanuts on top for the nut lovers)
*overnight oats soaked in 1:1 mashed banana and unsweetened yogurt with shredded coconut and cinnamon. In the morning I add some chopped nuts to the refrigerated oats and sprinkle with brown sugar.

We eat overnight oatmeal at least 3x per week. I soak the oats overnight in almond milk with dried fruit and flaxseed. The next morning the four children add their own toppings including maple syrup, currants, turbinado sugar, and even on occasion chocolate chips!

i like to make a savoury porridge with oats especially on cold mornings
cooking the oatmeal with salt or chicken stock, pepper, bay leaf and a pinch of cumin with any type of milk to a porridge consistency.

I love it savory cooked with just a little salt and olive oil. sooo good. Ive used it in lieu of rice in burritos even. Love it.
For breakfast its great cooked with almond milk, cinnamon & vanilla extract. If thats too plain you can throw some peanut butter or almond butter in there with some fruit like banana

Oatmeal is my all-time favorite breakfast! It’s really healthy and filling and keeps you going for a long time.

If you add in some canned pumpkin and spices (nutmeg, cinnamon,etc) it tastes amazing and has even more fiber. For more healthy options, I like my oatmeal with protein powder and yogurt as a shake. You can also make amazing protein pancakes using oatmeal, egg whites, and cottage cheese.

Another great mix-in is actually dehydrated peanut butter (pb2 is my favorite). Adds great peanut butter flavor and is less of a pain in the butt to try to distribute evenly compared to real pb.

I eat oatmeal every day for breakfast and my favorite mix in is pumpkin puree. In addition to the puree, I add some cinnamon, brown sugar, and a pinch of grown cloves. I top it all off with some dried cranberries. It is delicious :)

Steel cut oats turn out great in a rice cooker too. A tiny sliver of butter, some salt, walnuts for crunch and your favorite sweetener (I love blackberry preserves or agave and cinnamon) make it delish.

Birchermüesli!!! (pronounced – BIRKER-MEWS-LEE) It is a traditional swiss breakfast that my husband and I have been in love with since our trip to the Swiss Alps!

Soak oats (not instant) in apple juice overnight. In the morning, stir in yogurt, grated apple, a mashed banana and any fruits and nuts you want (usually slivered almonds and mixed berries for me). It turns bright pink (from the berries), and the batch lasts the whole week in the fridge for a last minute breaky! I can’t get enough of it. =)

I love this challenge!! I’ve been making oatmeal with instant oats (unfortunately I can’t get steel cut oats where I live) and hot water. I mix in wheat germ, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, a pinch of salt, cinnamon, a bit of honey and top it off with a spoonful of tahini! Yum!!

When you have it handy, a small dollop of peanut butter mixed in has a really nice rich flavor – it also works as a nice substitute if you’re lacking milk and feel that the oatmeal is a tad watery. Otherwise pumpkin puree and a heaping of gingerbread and cinnamon spice = <3!

When I was a little girl my mom & I would have oats for “breakfast”. I say that lightly because what we would do to it… was NOT breakfast at all. It became a grand dessert. lol We would take chocolate chips and drop them ontop of the hot oats and let them melt. Once you could start seeing them get melty (technical word) we would stream a little bit of cream on top. Then eat that later. And repeat. No wonder I grew up horribly fat. LOL It was a very special treat and oh how I still love that. Now it’s just plain forbidden. lol

I’m a big fan of making my own toasted oats/granola (with whatever nuts and dried fruit I have on hand) and having a bowl of that with a dollop of plain yogurt in the morning. Chow has a basic how-to that serves as a good spring board for further customization:

Good Eats had an oats episode with several good recipes for oatmeal and other foodstuffs (honey wheat oat bread anyone?). If you want to venture a little from the straight-n-narrow “oatmeal” path and incorporate oats in other dishes, you might want to look that up.

Using either old fashion oats (or regular quick oats), I add cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins and a bit of brown sugar. Sometimes I mix in some ground flax seeds to sneak a little more nutrition in there. I wasn’t a huge oatmeal fan until I tried this combo. It’s divine!

what a great challenge! perhaps you have inspired a post for my own blog…
i do refrigerator oats 3-4 mornings per week for my 15 month old son and myself. it is super easy to prepare them the night before and heat them for about 1 minute in the microwave the next day. the night before, i mix 1/4 c steel cut oats and 1/4 c old fashioned oatmeal with about 1/2 c 2% milk (i like to use only a little bit of milk so the oatmeal will be “doughy”). for toppings, my favorite combo is trader joe’s pumpkin butter, 1/2 of a banana, and a dash of cinnamon (topped with candied pecans in the morning) OR a spoonful of homemade fig preserves, a dash of cinnamon, and a pinch of brown sugar.
i hope you enjoy your month of oats.

As a child my mother used to cook oats in different liquids, orange juice for my sister and milk for me. The orange juice adds a lot of flavour and vitamins while the milk adds protein and creaminess.
Lately I cook it with water, but add raisins,apples and a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. I top it with 2 fried eggs and more salt!

I started eating steel cut oats after a personal trainer suggested mixing in vanilla whey protein mix instead of having a shake in the morning. I hated oatmeal, but after eating the steel cut, it changed my world. There’s nothing like a hot bowl on a snowy, slushy winter morning.

My easy go-to is cooking it in a pot of almond milk/cinnamon/allspice/nutmeg/vanilla extract, mixing in maple syrup and splitting it into containers for the week. Each morning at work I pop one into the microwave and add a packet of Trader Joe’s individual trail mix (they have a nice variety) and viola! a filling breakfast!

How To –
1. Saute onions and mushrooms (with as little oil as you can get away with)
2. Stir in oatmeal until heated all the way through
3. When oatmeal is hot enough, stir in cheese. Turn off the heat and allow the cheese to melt. Continue stirring to distribute the cheese.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste

What I add takes away a bit from the healthy but I don’t do it a lot; though thinking this -10 degree morning might warrant it.

Butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and toasted walnuts. Yes, I think that will be on the stove in a minutes.

On a healthier note, just started making my own granola which is basically baked oats with whatever you add in. Love that I get to choose those. Sunflower seeds, sesame sesame seeds, walnuts and dried cranberries are my favorite at the moment.

I’ve recently discovered oat groats (or whole oats).. I soak them for an hour then rinse and cook in the rice cooker.. I use them as I would brown rice alongside stir fried veggies or sauteed kale. They are great and filling!

I’ve been oatmeal every morning for many years. Every summer my husband and I pick a ton of organic blueberries and freeze them. We pick enough to get us through next blueberry season. Just add the frozen blueberries to the oats, a little water, nuke it for bit and add some cinnamon. It’s a simple and healthy way to start the day. It’s important to have protein as well in the morning so we have a plant based protein energizer in some OJ. It’s actually really good!

Ok, I have been eating oatmeal all my life, and I love it. I think my favorite way (that hasn’t yet been mentioned) is with a mini banana foster on top. I soak steel cut oats and pearled barley overnight. The next morning, while I cook the oats, I saute bananas in butter (I never said healthy) with brown sugar, cinnamon, cardomom, and rum. I only make this once a month, but when I do. . .

When I have time in the morning, I love to make a savory oatmeal. Sautee up some onion and veggies (usually a bell pepper and some mushrooms), add the oatmeal in to soak up some of the flavors and let it simmer in some broth till it almost cook and throw a handful of spinach in. Add a little bit of cream cheese/grates cheese and that’s breakfast! Very tasty

My favorite lately has been Better Oats’ Oat Revolution. It so easy to throw a packet in to my purse and microwave at work. They’re very filling, and delicious. Also, much less sweet than the Quaker Instant packages. I had one of those the other day, and it made me shiver with sugar!

I heart steel cut oats in so many ways, I cannot name them all. One of my favorite ways is a simple Oatmeal Banana Brulee which is broiled in the morning. Easy, healthy, but tastes really rich. In fact, I’ve often made it for dessert. You essentially just make the oatmeal, top it with an even layer of greek yogurt, then an even layer of sliced bananas, a sprinkle of brown sugar, and broil it until it caramelizes, and voila — a really wonderful breakfast. The original recipe posted on my site calls for quick-cooking oats, which is certainly fine, but I prefer steel cut, which reheats so well that I often make it an advance and then just reheat it when needed. This also works beautifully with the King Arthur Flour brand’s Porridge. Follow my linked name for the exact recipe!

For the longest time I was cooking steel cut oats overnight in the crockpot in order to wake up to hot oats. You mix water and oats and salt according to package proportions, set it on low, and let it simmer all night. Only stir in a bit of 1/2 and 1/2 in the morning, after the cooking process is complete.

Pros: Once you serve the first bowl that morning, the rest is poured into a buttered loaf pan and put in the fridge. It keeps all week, and all one needs to do is “slice off some loaf” and put it in a dish in the microwave. The thick, firm slice melts into creamy, loose oatmeal straight away.

Cons: I found that you lose a lot of product in the layer which sticks to the pot inside the crock, and, the oats were creamier than I liked. You lose some nutty chew.

Overnight Stovetop and Resting Method:

I then discovered an easier way. I mix the water, salt, and oats in a sauce pot according to package portions, and bring it to a rapid, hard boil. I then immediately turn off the heat, leave a lid on it, and walk away. Leave this oat soup on the stovetop, cooling on its on, all night. Just walk away. In the morning, remove the lid and the oats will be fully cooked. A quick swirl of 1/2 and 1/2 adds some creamy texture. Add all stir-ins at this point, heat a bowl, and then store the rest in the fridge for the remainder of the week.

Pros: No loss of product baked on the crockpot at all. Uses little energy.
Cons: It’s not warm when you wake up, but, a quick nuke later and it is.

I woke up yesterday craving baked apples. But I didn’t want to wait so I made apple cinnamon oatmeal.

Melted a little butter while I skinned & diced an apple
Tossed the apple in the pan with a sprinkle of cinnamon & ginger
Added a little brown sugar & a squeeze of honey
Cooked the oats while the apples softened up and then dumped both in a bowl & mixed.

I love this entire post + comment thread almost as much as I love oatmeal, ahhhh. <3

Anyway — my oatmeal suggestion: custard-style oatmeal!

About 2-3 minutes before your oatmeal is done on the stove, pull it off the heat for a moment and crack in one egg. Stir rapidly (but carefully!) to thoroughly mix everything, put back on the stove to finish cooking. That extra egg mixed in gives it an amazing creamy custard-y texture. Throw your toppings of choice on (strawberries, almonds, and a dash of cold milk for me) and it's like eating dessert for breakfast minus the guilt and the empty tub of frosting.

I love oatmeal and have been eating it warm lately w/cooked apples in it, but here’s a recipe that the list of comments made me think about and the one I go to in the warmer months. It’s by Jamie Oliver and it really is SO good. Mix up whatever fruits, nuts and yogurt you like, it’s all good!

A number of blogs and forums rave about Jamie’s recipe from his The Return of the Naked Chef cookbook, so here goes:

Put oats and bran into a large Tupperware with apricots, dates and any other soft fruit (I added dried cranberries). Add the walnuts, almonds, any other nuts and seeds. This mixture will keep for up to two months in an airtight container.

The night before you want to eat your pukkolla, put two portions of the oat mixture into a bowl and cover with the milk, grate in half an apple per person and stir immediately to keep apple from discolouring. I’ve also read in forums about people adding nutmeg and cinnamon at this stage. Place in the fridge overnight.

When you’re ready to eat it, slice or mash half a banana per person, stir into the soggy oats and add honey to taste. Serve with a dollop of yogurt and some fresh mixed berries.

I eat oatmeal every morning! I know this sounds weird, but I whip an egg into it. It sounds gross… but I LOVE it. It gives extra protein (the whole chabang has about 18g of protein!) and make the oatmeal super thick. Here is how I do it.

Microwave the oats with a large pinch of salt until it is almost done cooking and starting to bubble. (1:40 on my microwave) Immediately crack the egg into your bowl and whip around with your spoon until you can not see anymore egg. Microwave for 30-45 more seconds to cook the egg. There are sometime little chunks of cooked white… I don’t have a problem eating them. Mix in the flax and milk and enjoy!

I make 5 portions at time (thick rolled or steel-cut) adding a cinnamon stick and a cut vanilla bean (and some fresh nutmeg sometimes) with the water. They create awesome depth of flavor and the vanilla adds pretty speckles.

Those of us in the medical profession are giggling, snickering, and laughing out loud. The reason that oatmeal is “heart healthy” is because it is intended to replace bacon and eggs for breakfast which our older generations ate religiously. Oatmeal doesn’t have any magic bullets in it in large amounts. Sure, it, like most decently prepared food, is healthy enough all by itself, but then we add all that sugar, and cream, and other not-so-good things to it. Syrup, and salt? OMG! That’s ruining everything the entire purpose of eating it! Oatmeal does not prevent heart disease unless it is used in place of artery clogging junk food.

I have oatmeal most every morning. I use Coach’s Oat, a handful of dried fruit, and lactaid (since I’m lactose intolerant). I finish it off with a tablespoon of pomegranate molasses (find it in the international aisle of your local grocery store) before eating it. It’s my favorite way to enjoy oatmeal.

I like to whisk in a whole egg, a whole mashed banana together with almond milk. It tastes SOO good (custard oats!). For the topping, I add a spoonful of almond butter and a sprinkle of chia seeds w/ walnuts =). it’s seriously amazing! you must try =)

hey there! i wish i could help with some oatmeal flavouring ideas but i’m a weird soul and can seriously eat oatmeal non-stop without any flavouring at all.. and i do.. all the time.. (probably the only person who does). but anyways, i’ve got a neat little trick. another great thing for your health is green tea and recently, i’ve been brewing my oatmeal with green tea instead of water. there is absolutely no flavour affect so you don’t have to worry about green tea flavour interfering with other flavours. give it a try! it’s great! and good luck :)

Ok I just found your Oatmeal project & I know that I am alittle late but I had to post my newest oatmeal add in …. Caramel! Oh Yes, I cook my oats in water add in a finely cut up apple. After it cooks I add in a few Kraft caramel bits and let them slowing melt into my oatmeal. It taste just like a caramel covered apple!

I make mine by using apple juice in place of the water. Add in a scoop of peanut butter, tablespoon of ground flax seed, cut up fruit (I like strawberries, blueberries and bananas) while cooking. Then at the very end add in your favorite yogurt to taste. Yummy! Tastes like dessert. My kids love it.

I was researching oatmeal and I fail to find how it’s heart healthy? I read the $100M lipid study and it was inconclusive pointing the finger at fat for causing cardiovascular disease. The underlying cause of heart disease was high blood sugar, from spiking insulin and causing oxidation that resulted in fishers in our veins that made cholesterol want to come and fix it (cholesterol is after all a good thing in our system). Oatmeal averages almost 70 (according to Harvard medical institute), so not to be a jerk but looking at the research it’s really a garbage food that provides no nutrition. There was a case several years back where a child had scurvy because his mom only ever fed him oatmeal. The doctor never thought this could happen this day in age. 28 days of oatmeal may do more damage than good for anybody that is sensitive to high blood sugar. I used to believe everything the AHA/FDA told us until I saw the studies were being funded by former heads of industries with a vested interest, and dare I say Orange Juice is yet another fake health food. You like milk? You know milk is almost all sugar right? Non fat milk is all sugar, as fat is the healthy energy in milk.